Shopping & Souvenirs
What to bring home - information where you can find local handicraft, which products shouldn't you miss and how to support local community by shopping.
Selfsupply for trips or if you can cook at home
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Plenty of small shops are available in almost all towns, offering basic groceries for eating and cooking, sweets, water and alcohol. In Murun, you can find also several supermarkets and few big department stores.
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A good place to buy fruit and vegetables is the Black Market in Murun, as it might be a problem to find these in other shops (fresh or undried). Shopping at the Black Market is despite of its name legal but mostly very crowded, so be aware of possible pickpockets there.
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Shops are usually open till the night (10 PM, some until midnight)
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please consider buying supply rather in small local shops, as this is the only source of income for many families. Alhough for big supermarket-fans Murun can offer e.g. :
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Tevkhen – shopping centre, variety of goods available (cosmetics, stationery, clothes). The shop is located in opposite of the 50° 100° Hotel, 100 metres westerly from the Foursquare.
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Anu market – good selection of (western) food, upstairs you can find small shops with electronic stuff, printing laminating options or souvenirs. The green-coloured building is located at the Foursquare.
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Click here to download basic Mongolian Phrases, - about markets, Restaurants and Accomodation
Basic Words for selfcatering would be:
Water - Uuz \ ус
Vegetables - Nogoo \ ногоо
Rice - Budaa \ будаа
Meat - Makh \ мах
Fish - Zarass \ загас
Milk - Suu \ сүү
Noodles - Gooril \ гурил
Salad - Salat \ салат
Tomato - Ulaan lool \ улаан лооль
Fried potatoes - Sharsan tems \ шарсан төмс
Without meat - Makhguj \ маxгуй
Beer - Shar airag \ шар айраг
Bread - Talkh \ талх
Yoghurt - Tarag \ тараг
Potato - Tems \ төмс
Ajrik - alcoholic horsemilk \ айраг
Dry cheese - Aaruul \ ааруул
Chicken - Takhia \ тахиа
Gluten - Ulaan buudain uurag \ улаан буудайн уураг
Sugar - Elsen chikher \ элсэн чихэр
Lactose - Soonee tshikgir \ сүүний чихэр
Nuts - Saamar \ самар
Souvenirs
Shopping souvenirs:
The Tourist Information Center (HATI) sells small amounts of locally produced souvenirs. For a wider variety of handicrafts, mainly locally produced arts, useful items and souvenirs visit the GER-SHOP, situated in between the drycleaner and the big shopping center “TEVKHEN тэвхэн” .
If you look around long enough at the Black Market “Zakh” you might find as well Mongolian items and souvenirs to take home. Be aware, that the export of gems, dinosaur bones and seeds and plants is strongly prohibited and the laws are enforced at the customs office while departure. Even though some “traders” might offer these items or sell possible fake antiques, be aware of this fact.
Great quality cashmere (goat, yak or camel) can be obtained to reasonable prices at the Goyo Cashmere shop (currently in reconstruction) situated on the left side between the 4-square and the police station. Their products are mainly produced locally in Huvsgul aymag:
The collection can be seen at: goyocashmerefashion facebook.com/goyocashmere <- Links
Around the lake Huvsgul and in Hatgal many touristic items are being offered.
Even Tsaatan people move in large amounts to the touristic areas around the lake to sell carvings and other souvenirs. This topic is controversial, leading to changing lifestyles of the indigenous Tsaatan with their unique traditional culture, urbanization into the national park while supplying only rare and mainly low income job opportunities for the family. If you visit the Tsaatan Community in the Taiga it is advised to support them locally and buy authentic items- and not at the (mainly artificially initiated) settlements around the lake. Reindeer herds can in addition suffer severely from the local climate and grass types around the lake.
Car and Electronic Parts
Carshops can be found near the four-square and a lot of them are close to the Black Market - Zakg. For authorized dealers' parts, call your country representative who will be willing to send you quickly spare parts, mostly with the next incoming plane.
Electronic parts and cellphone supply is basically available everywhere. Try the upstairs sections of bigger supermarkets, and you will find phones and chargers, bateries etc.
For those with time, people in need of long ropes or cables, fixings or welding needs, the people on the Black Market will help you to find what you need even in case of rare parts, but remember to plan in some time for this kind of actions. Most garages operate privately and can be found along the main road close to the Black Market or westroad of the 50/100 Hotel.